single out

  

sin·gle

[sing-guhl] adjective, verb, sin·gled, sin·gling, noun
adjective
1.
only one in number; one only; unique; sole: a single example.
2.
of, pertaining to, or suitable for one person only: a single room.
3.
solitary or sole; lone: He was the single survivor.
4.
unmarried: a single man.
5.
pertaining to the unmarried state: the single life.
6.
of one against one, as combat or fight.
7.
consisting of only one part, element, or member: a single lens.
8.
sincere and undivided: single devotion.
9.
separate, particular, or distinct; individual: Every single one of you must do your best. It's the single most important thing.
10.
uniform; applicable to all: a single safety code for all manufacturers.
11.
(of a bed or bedclothes) twin-size.
12.
(of a flower) having only one set of petals.
13.
British. of standard strength or body, as ale, beer, etc. Compare double ( def 1 ).
14.
(of the eye) seeing rightly.
verb (used with object)
15.
to pick or choose (one) from others (usually followed by out ): to single out a fact for special mention.
16.
Baseball.
a.
to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a one-base hit.
b.
to cause (a run) to be scored by a one-base hit (often followed by in or home ).
00:10
Single out is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used without object)
17.
Baseball. to hit a single.
noun
18.
one person or thing; a single one.
19.
an accommodation suitable for one person only, as a hotel room or a table at a restaurant: to reserve a single.
20.
a ticket for a single seat at a theater.
21.
British.
a.
a one-way ticket.
b.
a steam locomotive having one driving wheel on each side.
22.
an unmarried person, especially one who is relatively young.
23.
Baseball.. Also called one-base hit. a base hit that enables a batter to reach first base safely.
24.
singles, ( used with a singular verb ) a match with one player on each side, as a tennis match.
25.
Golf. twosome ( def 4 ).
26.
Cricket. a hit for which one run is scored.
27.
Informal. a one-dollar bill.
28.
a phonograph record, CD, or cassette usually having two songs.
29.
one of the songs recorded on a single.
30.
Often, singles. Textiles.
a.
reeled or spun silk that may or may not be thrown.
b.
a one-ply yarn of any fiber that has been drawn and twisted.
Origin:
1275–1325; late Middle English (adj.), Middle English sengle < Old French < Latin singulus individual, single, (plural) one apiece, derivative of *sem- one (see simplex)

Related forms
qua·si-sin·gle, adjective
qua·si-g·ly, adverb
un·sin·gle, adjective

Can be confused: 1. signal, single ; 2. single, singular.

Synonyms
1. distinct, particular. 3. isolated. 4. unwed. 15. select. 18. individual.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To single out
Collins
World English Dictionary
single (ˈsɪŋɡəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  existing alone; solitary: upon the hill stood a single tower
2.  distinct from other things; unique or individual
3.  composed of one part
4.  designed for one user: a single room; a single bed
5.  (also postpositive) unmarried
6.  connected with the condition of being unmarried: he led a single life
7.  (esp of combat) involving two individuals; one against one
8.  sufficient for one person or thing only: a single portion of food
9.  even one: there wasn't a single person on the beach
10.  (of a flower) having only one set or whorl of petals
11.  determined; single-minded: a single devotion to duty
12.  (of the eye) seeing correctly: to consider something with a single eye
13.  rare honest or sincere; genuine
14.  archaic (of ale, beer, etc) mild in strength
 
—n
15.  something forming one individual unit
16.  an unmarried person
17.  a gramophone record, CD, or cassette with a short recording, usually of pop music, on it
18.  golf a game between two players
19.  cricket a hit from which one run is scored
20.  a.  (Brit) a pound note
 b.  (US), (Canadian) a dollar note
21.  See single ticket
 
—vb (usually foll by out)
22.  to select from a group of people or things; distinguish by separation: he singled him out for special mention
23.  (tr) to thin out (seedlings)
24.  short for single-foot
 
[C14: from Old French sengle, from Latin singulus individual]
 
'singleness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

single
c.1300, "individual, unbroken, unmarried," from O.Fr. sengle "being one, separate," from L. singulus "one, individual, separate" (usually in pl. singuli "one by one"), from sim- (stem of simplus) + dim. suffix. Meaning "unaccompanied or unsupported by others" is from 1340. The verb meaning "to separate
from the herd" (originally in deer-hunting, often with forth or out) is recorded from 1575. Single-handed is first attested 1709. Single-parent (adj.) is attested from 1969.

single
1486, "the middle or outer claw on the foot of a hawk or falcon," from single (adj.). Given various technical meanings from 16c. Sports sense is attested from 1851 (cricket), 1858 (baseball). Meaning "phonograph record with one song on each side" is from 1949. Meaning "unmarried
person" is from 1964; singles bar attested from 1969. An earlier word for "unmarried or unattached person" is singleton (1937).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

single definition


  1. n.
    one dollar; a dollar bill. : I don't have enough singles in the register to get me through the morning.
  2. n.
    an unmarried person. (Usually plural.) : I'm holding a little party for singles.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

single out

Choose or distinguish from others, as in We singled him out from all the other applicants. This idiom was first recorded in 1629.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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